Helping hand for student

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Fa'aoge Lutu's dream of becoming a lawyer and giving back to her community is a step closer to reality.

The year 13 Pacific Island student from Southern Cross Campus in Mangere has been awarded an AMP-sponsored First Foundation university scholarship.

She was one of 29 students who received scholarships at a special presentation.

Many of the students are the first in their families to attend university.

Fa'aoge's dream is to graduate from law school, to be a role model in the Pacific Island community and to provide legal assistance to those who need it most.

"I'm out to make a change in the future for my community and the scholarship is a stepping stone toward that goal," she says.

"My goal is to open my own law firm in Mangere to give advice to my community and eventually to work in Samoa."

First Foundation is an educational trust that brings businesses and schools together to give young New Zealanders with great talent but few financial resources a "hand up" to tertiary education.

Executive legal counsel Therese Singleton says AMP's legal team had been looking for a meaningful way of giving back to the community, and supporting promising law students who need help through the First Foundation was a natural fit.

The team was very impressed by Fa'aoge's application for the scholarship.

"After meeting her we could tell that she has enormous potential.

"For someone of her age to have such a clear vision of how she can help her community is remarkable and we look forward to helping her achieve her goals."

Under the scholarship, AMP provides a substantial contribution to Fa'aoge's law degree tuition fees, paid work experience while she is studying and mentoring.

Fa'aoge will attend Auckland University this year to study law and Pacific studies.